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Steam Heat Radiator Questions

heatinghelp819
heatinghelp819 Member Posts: 72
in THE MAIN WALL
We've been in our 1937 house about a year. We have steam heat, and I am looking for more basic info about our system as I embark and potentially fixing a shot air vent on one of the radiators (which lets out steam the entire time the heat is on and makes the room a sauna with condensation dripping down the walls...). I have attached pictures.

1. Is this a one pipe or two pipe system?
2. Is this a convection or regular steam radiator? Does this impact what type of air vent I can get?
3. Is there any better way to get inside the cast iron radiator frame to replace the air vent other than taking out one of the brackets on the side and reaching my hand inside? (as the pics show, the vent is behind the cast iron radiator/frame)
4. There is a (painted over) screw above the bracket that comes out of the frame to provide access to the air vent; what is the purpose of that screw? It does not appear related to the removal of the bracket, which comes out when a lever behind the bracket is squeezed.
5. As pictured, one of our radiators in a different room has a Gorton air vent on the outside of the radiator; how is this done and can I somehow change the other ones to be the same? Much easier to access this one.









Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,092
    heatinghelp819 said:

    ...

    1. Is this a one pipe or two pipe system? Almost certainly one pipe.
    2. Is this a convection or regular steam radiator? Does this impact what type of air vent I can get? Convector -- but that doesn't affect the type of air vent.
    3. Is there any better way to get inside the cast iron radiator frame to replace the air vent other than taking out one of the brackets on the side and reaching my hand inside? (as the pics show, the vent is behind the cast iron radiator/frame) I confess I can't see the vent in the pictures -- but I suspect that you will have to get in there somehow.
    4. There is a (painted over) screw above the bracket that comes out of the frame to provide access to the air vent; what is the purpose of that screw? It does not appear related to the removal of the bracket, which comes out when a lever behind the bracket is squeezed. The original vents may have been adjustable (that's how one controls the heat output) and the screw was there to get access to the vent. Maybe
    5. As pictured, one of our radiators in a different room has a Gorton air vent on the outside of the radiator; how is this done and can I somehow change the other ones to be the same? Much easier to access this one. Probably an arrangement of small diameter pipe and fittings in a bigger hole. It may take some ingenuity to pipe it -- but it's a much handier arrangement.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • heatinghelp819
    heatinghelp819 Member Posts: 72
    edited October 2016
    Thanks Jamie! If you are able to see the pics titled radiator 5 and radiator 6, you can make out the vent inside/behind the radiator.

    The screw doesn't seem to be related to the vent but I could be wrong. Is it possible that removing the screw would provide a whole on the front of the radiator where I can place a vent, or does it not work that way...?

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